In education, there’s a well-established subject area known as English Language Arts (ELA). This discipline encompasses reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and producing texts. Today, I believe a similar comprehensive approach is necessary in the realm of business and information technology. For anyone pursuing a career in a business-related field, it’s essential to grasp data structures, speak the language of data, understand data visualization, and generate meaningful analyses from both unstructured and structured data.
Consider ELA – We expect someone proficient in this area to understand sentence structure, paragraphs, the concept of chapters, what a book is, and how to convey thoughts effectively. These skills are so ingrained in our intellect that we often take them for granted, not distinguishing between innate knowledge and learned abilities.
Our world now revolves around data and leveraging that data to make informed decisions. When examining the job market, it’s evident that tasks that are mechanical and routine are being eliminated or reduced because electronic systems or programmed robots can perform them more efficiently. So, if you’re entering the workforce today, where do you find value to present to potential employers?
One area where human cognition still surpasses AI is in the arts—the art of creating, building, and developing what does not yet exist. Creativity with information and understanding business processes is a significant selling point, especially in the information age. Routine tasks have become increasingly manageable and controlled as the human element in these processes is being replaced by advanced computer systems and AI. This shift is akin to the difference between sawing a tree with a handsaw versus a chainsaw.
How do we enable people, regardless of age, to better understand the language and structure of data, and leap into creating systems, tools, and structures based on their vision of what’s possible with the data we have? This is the process of transforming raw data into products that exceed the sum of their parts.
The future belongs to those who master the art of data.